Then He Changed
by Kenxi
Summary: Ben hasn't been the same since his father gave himself to the aliens and disappeared from his, and everyone else's lives. We all know that Ben changed immensely between the end of season one and the beginning of season two, but what really happened with the boys in those three months that Tom Mason was with the skitters?


**A/N:** This is just a scene which I conjured in my brain after Tom left the boys alone. Not much happens in the beginning, but a lot more is in store next chapter. :D This chapter is mostly Hal thinking about how much Ben has changed, with a hint for chapter two. Hope ya'll enjoy! Please review at the end; let me know what you think and what you hope to see in the future.

**-Kenxi**

Hal Mason watched his younger brother, Ben, hold a gun in his arms and carefully calculate the scenery around them, keeping an eye out for any signs of intelligent life.

In order to get to where Ben was now, not much had happened from an outsider's viewpoint. All they saw was a kid with a haircut and a strong will for survival. However, to Hal he couldn't help but feel like Ben was becoming an entirely different person. Not only had Ben physically changed, due to the now removed harness, but also mentally. Hal felt as if the only thing to do was to watch helplessly from the sidelines as the smart nerd of a brother whom Hal had always known, shifted, altered, into an unrecognizable person, right before his eyes.

It had only taken a day after their father's disappearance for Ben's real change to begin. Originally, the only change had been that he no longer needed glasses or an inhaler to breathe; his endurance was strengthened exponentially as were all five of his senses. Sure, those were pretty big differences, but now that Tom Mason, their father, was MIA it seemed more and more as the days went on that Ben was losing himself. Perhaps no one else noticed the greater solitude, or the shorter temper, the lack of tolerance and patience. Perhaps the only reason Hal noticed at all was because of the place in which Ben held in his heart as being his brother.

At first Hal had shrugged it off as being guilt. According to Weaver, Tom had left with the Espheni in the first place for Ben. Though he may not have perfectly understood, Hal could at least imagine the guilt Ben must feel, knowing that his own father had been captured by the enemy because of him. And since that day, Ben was simply… no longer Ben.

In the earlier few days Ben had just kept to minor things. His wardrobe consisted more of black and grey as opposed to his usual red and brown. Then Ben had cropped his hair much shorter, a look that rendered his green eyes larger and cheekbones more prominent; it seemed to take away part of his childishness and made him appear taller and more like… Hal.

After that Hal began to notice personality difference as well. Ben became more impulsive and easy to anger, something that Hal had rarely seen beforehand. For someone so smart and so cautious, he was suddenly now all reactions and hate. Sure, he was a teenager, but so was Hal. A week ago he himself might have been more than likely the rash one, the bull-headed jock who just wanted to be a part of the action. Yet here he was, rationalizing and watching out as he always had for both of his younger brothers, but now with more caution and worry than ever.

Mostly he was worried about Ben.

The latter suddenly snapped his head around towards the edge of the clearing they stood in the midst of the trees, his gun loaded and ready in his hardly trained hands. Had he heard something? Hal frowned and was about to ask Ben what was going on, when Ben relaxed ever so slightly and turned back to look at Hal, nodding briefly that everything was fine. Although Hal knew that Ben must have heard or sensed something that Hal could not, he didn't push it. You couldn't push Ben at all these days. Not unless you wanted a super strengthened fist in the jaw.

It wasn't until two days ago, a week after Tom left, that Ben had saved pretty much all of 2nd Mass. from a skitter attack due to his enhanced strength and senses, and then shortly after asked Weaver to let him join the front lines and fight. Of course Hal was against it, it being hard to see a fighter in his nerdy little brother. However, he couldn't deny the extensive changes Ben was experiencing, let alone the help that he could be to them. Weaver must have seen the same thing- it helped that Ben had just saved their lives- because he told him to start with patrol duty alongside Hal until he was for sure ready. And here they were, together, on patrol.

Hal didn't want this; he didn't want his brother thrust into danger.

"Hal!"

His brother's yell yanked Hal out of his thoughts so quickly, he was a tad disoriented. He quickly shook it off and turned to see Ben staring aghast at the side of the forest which he had been glaring at before.

A look of panic was shone prominently on Ben's face, an expression which Hal had not seen for a while now. Something definitely had to be wrong for Ben to be looking like that.

Ben seemed to pull himself together, though, and with foreign determination grabbed Hal's arm with surprising strength and hauled him along in the direction which they had come from. Hal could feel his heart pounding against his chest with adrenaline and lack of knowledge, the hot sun on his back, and the coolness of the air shoving the heat away.

"Are you gonna tell me what the heck is going on?" Hal demanded to know. He trusted Ben enough to let him continue to drag him through the forest as a toddler dragged a blanket around the house, but was both prideful and curious enough to at least ask for the reason.

Ben glanced back at Hal, without breaking his fast pace, his bright eyes wide with a mix of hate and fear. "It's the Espheni," he yelled to him, his voice lacking any sign of exertion from running, "I can sense them. Hal, I-"

He was cut off so sharply that Hal was once again thrown off. Ben stopped running immediately and planted his feet into the ground. His spikes glowed a brilliant blue.

Hal froze as well, Ben's arm slipping from his own limply and falling at his side. "Ben?" Hal called out tentatively. What was going on? Never had Hal seen Ben's spikes light up like that before.

Slowly, ever slowly, Ben turned around to face Hal, a blank expression on his face.

Studying his brother, staring into his eyes, Hal found himself not recognizing him. The boy in front of him appeared to be Ben, but something just didn't feel quite right. Yet he couldn't help but asking once more, "Ben?"

The face before him offered a slight grin. It was not a pleasant one. And it was not Ben's grin. When Ben smiled, he could light up a room, something that Hal hadn't seen since their father had left. This smile was mirthless, cold, and almost painful to look at.

"Sorry, Hal Mason. Ben has stepped into the other room for a moment. Let's talk, shall we?"

**A/N:** Again, just wanted to remind ya'll to review! Thanks much! :D

**-Kenxi**


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